Prior to the border closing in November 2024, U.S. imports of Mexican cattle had averaged 1.18 million head annually in the previous decade (Figure 1) and 1.12 million head per year in the previous 35 years. Mexican cattle imports equaled 3.4 percent of the total U.S. calf crop from 2015-2024 and 3.1 percent since 1990. The brief border opening in 2025 allowed about 230,000 head to cross, 0.7 percent of the 2025 calf crop. The typical pattern is bimodal with peaks in March and again in November/December. Calves carried over from the previous year are typically exported in...
